Filling device for liquefied gas containers



May 23, 1967 LOEWENTHAL.

FILLING DEVICE FOR LIQUEFIED GAS CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 15, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m m E V W.

BY q Z MMM ATTORNEY May 23, W6 E. LOEWENTHAL FILLING DEVICE FOR LIQUEFIED GAS CONTAINERS 2 sheets-sheet :2,

Filed Jan. 15, 1965 Iii M2113 blllililllll ii INVENTOR f/v/wco L afn/f/vnmL ATTORNEY United States Patent .Ofifice FILLING DEVICE FUR LIQUEFIED GAS CONTAINERS Enrico Loewenthal, Etta-28 Via Nazario Sauro, Regina Margherita, Turin, Piedmont, Italy Filed Jan. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 425,797

Claims priority, application Italy, Jan. 28, 1964,

Patent 714,111 3 Ciaims. ((11. l41--302) This invention relates to filling devices, especially, but not exclusively, for containers for liquid gases or liquids under pressure.

Containers for liquid gas or liquids under pressure, such as, for example, liquid butane, are known, which feed portable equipment such as welding torches or small camping cookers and which, when their contents have been consumed, are filled with liquid fuel obtained from a cylinder, fitted with a suitable funnel neck and a delivery valve. When performing the filling operation, care must be exercised to avoid filling the container above a certain safety level; if this level is exceeded, the danger of explosion arises; but this safety limit is not easy to identify for practical purposes, since the containers are, for various reasones, not transparent.

Previously proposed containers have incorporated a filling valve which automatically prevents any back-flow when filling is completed, and manual control means permitting the escape of the gas or vapour in the container during the introduction of the liquid, and this makes the filling operation comparatively complicated. In addition, the container must be equipped with a safety valve. The necessity of providing all these independent components makes a not insignificant contribution towards increasing the cost of the container.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the drawbacks indicated above by providing a single filling device which performs the operations of a filling valve, and gives an indication to the person performing the filling operation that the said safety level has been reached. The valve may also act as a safety device.

The invention is a filling device for a container for liquids or liquid gases including a filling valve movable to permit entry of liquid into the container, a vent valve movable to permit release of gas or vapours from the container, an operative connection between the filling valve and the vent valve to effect successive opening of the valves, and indicating means operable to give a signal when a predetermined filling level has been reached.

Preferably said vent valve acts as a safety valve.

Preferably also said filling valve and said vent valve are interconnected by a tubular member, perforated at said predetermined filling level and housing said operative connection, said filling valve, said vent valve and said tubular member forming a unit adapted to be mounted in the container so as to project from it at opposite ends.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a filling device according to the invention incorporated in a welding torch fuelled with liquid butane;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view, to a larger scale, of the components of the device;

FIG. 3 is an axial section of the assembled filling device in its inoperative position;

FIG. 4 is a view, similar to FIG. 3, of the device when functioning as a safety valve; and

FIG. 5 is a view, similar to FIG. 3, of the device when functioning as a filling and level-controlling valve.

Referring to the drawings, the filling device is fitted in the body S of the welding torch and passes right Patented May 23, 1967 through the body from top to bottom so as to project from the top 1 and from the bottom 2 (FIG. 1).

Referring now to FIGS. 2 to 5, the filling device has a head 3 which passes through the top 1 of the body S of the welding torch and is welded to the same; this head 3 has an axial bore 4 which terminates at its upper end in a seating, located in a chamber 5 equipped with a breather vent 6. The chamber 5 is closed at the top by a cap 7 against which bears a spring 8 acting on a piston or plunger 9 fitted with a washer it) to provide a seal on the upper seating of the bore 4.

The filling device also includes a bottom element 11 which passes through the bottom 2 of the body S of the welding torch and is welded to the same; bottom element 11 has a stepped axial bore including two sealing shoulders 12 and 13 and radial holes 14 communicating with the inside of the body S of the welding torch near the bottom 2. A threaded and drilled bush 15 is screwed into the bottom element 11 and presses a gasket ring 16 against the shoulder 12. The bush 15 also retains in the bottom element 11 a plunger 17 which can move with a stroke restricted by the gasket 16. This plunger 17 carries an annular washer l8, and has an upper extension 1701 with a blind bore 19 and a lower extension 17b with a blind bore 20, the latter having radial holes 21 near its blind end. The bottom element 11 can be closed at the bottom by a screw cap 22 and washer 23.

The head 3 and the element 11 of the filling device are joined by a tube 24 welded to them, which tube 2 is drilled at the bottom to match holes 14 in the element 11 and is further drilled at 25 corresponding to the maximum safe level in the body S of the welding torch. A shaft or spindle 26 is axially mounted in the tube 14 and is pressed downwards by a spring 27; the upper end of the spindle 26 enters the bore 4 in the head 3 and the bottom end is seated in the blind hole 19 of the plunger 17.

In the inoperative postion (FIG. 3), the spring 8 presses the plunger 9 and washer 10 on the seating over the hole 4 in the head 3 and the spring 27, through the spindle 26, presses the plunger 17 downwards and seals it against the washer 16 so that the filling device is closed at top and bottom and the butane contained in the body S of the welding torch cannot escape. The lower closure can be improved by means of the cap 22. Owing to the hole 25, the pressure inside the tube 24 is the same as in the body S of the welding torch.

In operation, if the pressure in the welding torch increases beyond a certain limit (FIG. 4), this pressure is transmitted through the hole 25in the tube 24' and through the bore 4 in the head 3, and acts on the plunger 9 which rises against the pressure of the spring 8 to the position shown in FIG. 4. The body of the welding torch is then in communication with the outside atmosphere through the chamber 5 and the vent 6, which relieves some of the pressure, until the latter again falls below the safety limit and the spring 8 again depresses the plunger 9, closing the bore 4. Since the hole 25 lies at the upper limit of the permitted liquid level in the torch body, only gas is discharged through the hole 6. In this way, the valve acts as a safety filling device.

When it is necessary to refill the tank, the cap 22 is removed and the feeding funnel or neck B of a refill cylinder (not shown) is inserted in the bush 15 of the element 11. In doing this, the end of the funnel B bears against the lower end of the lower extension 1722 of the plunger 17 and thus presses the plunger and the shaft 26 upwards against the force of the spring 27 until the washer l8 bears against the shoulder 13. This seals the bottom element 11 from the inside of the tube 24. By this motion, the radial holes 21 in the plunger 17 are made to pass above the washer 16 putting the neck B of the cylinder in communication with the bore 20 in the element 11 and, through the bores 14-, with the lower part of the body of the welding torch. At the same time, the axial force exerted on the neck B causes an automatic closure valve in the cylinder to open, or if the cylinder is not equipped with an automatic valve, an appropriate cock is opened, so that the liquid from the cylinder flows through the neck B into the bore 20 and through the bores 21 and 14 into the body of the welding torch, thus refilling the same.

At the same time, the axially upward motion of the spindle 26 raises the plunger 9 against the force of the spring 8 so that part of the gas lying above the liquid in the torch may escape through the hole 25, tube 24, bore 4, chamber 5, and vent 6 to the atmosphere, permitting the admission into the torch body S of the refilling liquid through the lower bores 14. When the liquid, rising in the torch body S, reaches the maximum safe level, indicated by the hole 25, liquid instead of gas will escape from this hole, through the hole 6 to the atmosphere in the form of a visible and audible mist spray, which warns the operator that the torch body S is full and at the same time avoids the danger of the safety level being inadvertently exceeded.

An advantage of the above embodiment is that it considerably simplifies the operation of filling the torch and increases the safety of the operation, while the arrangement whereby all the elements associated with the filling, emptying and safety of the torch are embodied in the one filling device permits an appreciable reduction in the manufacturing cost, and a reduction in the work involved in fitting the said elements in the torch.

The basic feature of the filling device is that it alone automatically performs three different functions:

1) A filling valve (to allow the liquid from the cylinder to fill the torch but not to flow back when filling is completed);

(2) A valve for discharging gas or vapour and restricting the filling (allowing the escape of the vapour during the filling and giving a warning when the safety level is reached, so that this is not inadvertently exceeded);

(3) A safety valve (permitting the escape of a certain amount of gas in the case of an accidental excess of pressure in the tank).

It should be noted that the safety valve is lifted each time the tank is filled, and this has the further advantage of avoiding the danger of the valve sticking on its seating, which if the safety valve were required to function only exceptionally, would tend to impede rapid func tioning.

In certain cases, it is not necessary for the filling device to function as a safety valve. In such cases, the filling valve can be combined with some suitable means for discharging the gas or vapour rather than with a safety valve, and then the device in accordance with the invention performs only the first two of the three functions indicated above. An independent safety valve can be used in these cases, in conjunction with a device according to the invention.

While shown in the embodiment, in which the device is fitted to a welding torch, it can be practically embodied in very different forms and arrangements, which may depart considerably from the structural form which has been described and illustrated in the drawings. It can, for example, be applied to tanks for liquid butane and other liquid gases and liquids under pressure intended for any purpose or use, and also in any other container where means is required to perform the above three functions or two of them.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A filling device for a liquefied gas chamber, comprising a hollow body connected to a bottom wall of said container, first radial bores in said hollow body connecting the interior of said hollow body with the interior of said container, a plunger slidable within said hollow body to admit a supply of liquefied gas into said container, a spring urging said plunger towards a lower position, an axial blind bore in said plunger, second radial bores in said plunger connecting said axial blind bore with said interior of the hollow body, sealing means between said plunger and said hollow body, said sealing means closing said second radial bores when said plunger is in said lower position, a vent valve connected to a top wall of said container, and a connecting shaft between said plunger and said vent valve, whereby said vent valve is actuated by said connecting shaft to allow release of vapors from said container each time said plunger is displaced for introducing a supply of liquefied gas into said container.

2. A filling device as set forth in claim 1, further com prising a second spring urging said vent valve toward closed position, said second spring having a predetermined tension for allowing said vent valve to act also as a safety valve against excess pressure in said container.

3. A filling device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a tube connecting said hollow body and said vent valve, and a bore passing through said tube in correspondence to the maximum safety level of said container, whereby said vent valve ejects the liquid when the same reaches said maximum safety level, thus prevent-ing exceeding said level.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,043,334 7/1962 Henriques et al 137-588 3,094,143 6/1963 Beach 137-588 FOREIGN PATENTS 477,080 6/ 1953 Italy.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. S. BELL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FILLING DEVICE FOR A LIQUEFIED GAS CHAMBER, COMPRISING A HOLLOW BODY CONNECTED TO A BOTTOM WALL OF SAID CONTAINER, FIRST RADIAL BORES IN SAID HOLLOW BODY CONNECTING THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOLLOW BODY WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID CONTAINER, A PLUNGER SLIDABLE WITHIN SAID HOLLOW BODY TO ADMIT A SUPPLY OF LIQUEFIED GAS INTO SAID CONTAINER, A SPRING URGING SAID PLUNGER TOWARDS A LOWER POSITION, AN AXIAL BLIND BORE IN SAID PLUNGER, SECOND RADIAL BORES IN SAID PLUNGER CONNECTING SAID AXIAL BLIND BORE WITH SAID INTERIOR OF THE HOLLOW BODY, SEALING MEANS BETWEEN SAID PLUNGER AND SAID HOLLOW BODY, SAID SEALING MEANS CLOSING SAID SECOND RADIAL BORES WHEN SAID PLUNGER IS IN SAID LOWER POSITION, A VENT VALVE CONNECTED TO A TOP WALL OF SAID CONTAINER, AND A CONNECTING SHAFT BETWEEN SAID PLUNGER AND SAID VENT VALVE, WHEREBY SAID VENT VALVE IS ACTUATED BY SAID CONNECTING SHAFT TO ALLOW RELEASE OF VAPORS FROM SAID CONTAINER EACH TIME SAID PLUNGER IS DISPLACED FOR INTRODUCING A SUPPLY OF LIQUEFIED GAS INTO SAID CONTAINER. 